Conveyor mechanism

ABSTRACT

An endless conveyor system comprises an endless train of cradles, and a triple set of track, each cradle including a pivotal connection to the next proceeding cradle, a left depending and laterally extending foot, a right depending and laterally extending foot and a centrally depending foot; the set of track including a left track having a lateral rabbet receiving the cradles&#39;&#39; left feet, a right track having a lateral rabbet receiving the cradles&#39;&#39; right feet, and a central track supporting the cradles&#39;&#39; central feet; whereby said 3 feet of each respective cradle and the central foot of the next succeeding cradle limit the rotation of said respective cradle about the respective axis of the left and right feet of said respective cradle.

United States Patent [1 1 Tassie 1 1 CONVEYOR MECHANISM [75] Inventor:Douglas Pray Tassie, St. George, Vt.

[73] Assignee: General Electric Co., Burlington, Vt.

[22] Filed: Aug. 9, 1971 211 Appl. NO.Z' 170,137

[52] US. Cl 198/131, 89/35 R, 198/137, 198/203 [51] Int. Cl. B65g 15/60,865g 23/04 [58] Field of Search 198/131, 189, 137,181, 198/203; 104/25;89/35 R [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,757,786 8/1956Grebe 198/181 1,653,226 12/1927 Olson 198/137 763,897 6/1904 Hoshor198/203 3,185,108 5/1968 Muller. 104/25 3,493,097 2/1970 Karr 104/253,206,006 9/1965 Meeder et a1 198/181 X Primary Examiner-Richard E.Aegerter Assistant Examiner-.lames W. Miller Attorney, Agent, orFirmBailin L. Kuch [57] ABSTRACT An endless conveyor system comprises anendless train of cradles, and a triple set of track, each cradleincluding a pivotal connection to the next proceeding cradle, a leftdepending and laterally extending foot, a right depending and laterallyextending foot and a centrally depending'foofi'the set of trackincluding a left track having a lateral rabbet receiving the cradlesleft feet, a right track having a lateral rabbet receiving the cradlesright feet, and a central track supporting the cradles central feet;whereby said 3 feet of each respective cradle and the central foot ofthe next succeeding cradle limit the rotation of said respective cradleabout the respective axis of the left and right feet of said respectivecradle.

1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPR 2 3974 I N VENTOR.

A TIER/YE? CONVEYOR MECHANISM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field ofUse This invention relates to an improved conveyor mechanism,particularly to an endless conveyor assembly for linkless rounds ofammunition for high rate of fire weapons systems.

2. Prior Art An endless conveyor system for linkless rounds ofammunition for high rate of fire weapons systems is shown in U.S. Pat.No. 3,429,221 issued to R.G. Kirkpatrick on Feb. 25, 1969. TheKirkpatrick system has been incorporated into flexible conveyor systemsof the type illustrated in passing in U.S. Pat. No. 2,993,415 issued toE.W. Panicci et al. on July 25, 1961. In'these systems, the endlesstrain of rounds cradles is designed to be pulled through the flexiblechute. The cradles tend to bind when pushed, because each cradle is freeto rotate freely about the transverse axis defined by its feet,whereupon the feet bind in the rabbets of the rails, or the rails bindbetween the feet and the cradle bodies.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of this invention to provide anendless conveyor system wherein the endless train of rounds cradles maybe pushed without binding, as well as pulled, in a convoluted orflexible guide.

A feature of this invention is an endless conveyor system comprising anendless train of cradles, and a triple set of track, each cradleincluding a pivotal connection to the next proceeding cradle, a leftdepending and laterally extending foot, a right depending and laterallyextending foot and a centrally depending foot; the set of trackincluding a left track having a lateral rabbet receiving the cradlesleft feet, a right track having a lateral rabbet receiving the cradlesright feet, and a central track supporting the cradles central feet;whereby said three feet of each respective cradle and the central footof the next succeeding cradle limit the rotation of said respectivecradle about the respective axis of the left and right feet of saidrespective cradle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING These and other objects, features andadvantages of the invention will be apparent from the followingspecification thereof when taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a portion of an endless conveyorsystem embodying this invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the system of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an end elevation view of the system of FIG. 1. cl DESCRIPTIONOF THE PREFERRED EM- BODIMENT The conveyor system includes an endlesstrain of rounds cradles guided by and within a chute 7.

The chute here shown includes an outer guide shell or conduit 14 and aninner track bed 16 internally supporting a left track 18 having alateral rabbet 20, a right track 22 having a lateral rabbet 24 and acentral track 26.

Each cradle includes a transversely extending platform 28 for supportinga respective round of ammunition 30, a central rib 32 having a dependingcentral foot 34 riding on the central track 26 and a leading lug 36,

a trailing clevis 38, a left depending, laterally extending foot 40which rides in the left rabbet 20, and a right depending, laterallyextending foot 42 which rides in the right rabbet 24. The lug 36 of thenext succeeding cradle is pivoted at 44 to the clevis 38 of the nextpreceding cradle. The relative geometry is such as to permit a limitedamount of twist between successive cradles. The relative geometry of thethree feet and the lug and the clevis of each cradle is such as topermit a limited amount of flexing at the pivot 44, but not so much asto cause binding ofa foot in its rabbet, or a binding of a rail betweena foot and the platform of a cradle. Looking at FIG. 1, it will be seenthat counterclockwise rotation of each cradle is limited by its ownthree feet and the respective rails; while clockwise rotation is limitedprimarily by its own left and right feet and the central foot of thenext succeeding cradle, and secondarily by the constraint oncounter-clockwise rotation of said next succeeding cradle and by theconstraint on counter-clockwise rotation of the next preceding cradle.

The train of cradles is driven by a pair of sprocket wheels 50 fixed toa transverse shaft 52, the teeth of which pass between adjacent cradleplatforms. It will be appreciated that the sprockets effectively pushthe upstream cradles and pull the down stream cradles. With the systemof this invention, a single pair of sprockets can be effective to drivean entire train without binding.

It will be obvious that to minimize friction, the feet may be terminatedin rollers, rather than the sliding surfaces here shown.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been here disclosed,other variations will suggest themselves to those skilled in the artwhich will be within the spirit and scope of the following claims:

What is claimed is:

1. An endless conveyor system comprising:

an endless train of cradles for movement along a longitudinal path;

a drive means; and

a triple set of track extending along said longitudinal path;

each cradle including:

a load supporting platform extending transversely and having a convexlongitudinal undersurface,

a leading arm fixed to said platform and projecting longitudinallytherefrom,

a trailing arm fixed to said platfonn and projecting longitudinallytherefrom;

a transverse axis pivotal connection between the distal end of theleading arm and the distal end of the trailing arm of respectiveimmediately adjacent cradles in said train, said connection permittinglimited relative movement of said adjacent cradles in twist and in flex,

only 3 feet which support the load of said platform and engage saidtrack, consisting of:

a left depending and distally laterally extending foot,

a right depending and distally laterally extending foot, an intermediatedepending foot spaced longitudinally from said left and right dependingfeet; said set of track consisting of:

a left track having a lateral rabbet receiving said left foot of each ofsaid cradles,

a right track having a lateral rabbet receiving said right foot of eachof said cradles, and an intermediate track supporting the platformloading carried by said intermediate foot of each of said cradles; saidleft track having an upwardly facing surface for supporting platformloading and a downwardly facing surface for opposing platform tiltingabout said right track, said right track having an upwardly facingsurface for supporting platform loading and a downwardly facing surfacefor opposing platform tilting about said left track, and saidintermediate track having only one functional surface for supportingplatform loading via said intermediate foot; and

said drive means including a sprocket having a plurality of cusps, eachcusp having a concave longitudinal surface for respectively engaging aconvex undersurface of a respective platform and longitudinallytranslating said platform to thereby push the upstream cradles and pullthe downstream cradles in said train;

whereby counter clockwise rotation of an upstream cradle about thetransverse axis of its leading pivotal connection is limited by its ownthree feet and the respective rails, and clockwise rotation of saidupstream cradle about the transverse axis of its trailing pivotalconnection is limited primarily by its own left and right feet and bythe central foot of the immediately adjacent trailing cradle.

1. An endless conveyor system comprising: an endless train of cradlesfor movement along a longitudinal path; a drive means; and a triple setof track extending along said longitudinal path; each cradle including:a load supporting platform extending transversely and having a convexlongitudinal undersurface, a leading arm fixed to said platform andprojecting longitudinally therefrom, a trailing arm fixed to saidplatform and projecting longitudinally therefrom; a transverse axispivotal connection between the distal end of the leading arm and thedistal end of the trailing arm of respective immediately adjacentcradles in said train, said connection permitting limited relativemovement of said adjacent cradles in twist and in flex, only 3 feetwhich support the load of said platform and engage said track,consisting of: a left depending and distally laterally extending foot, aright depending and distally laterally extending foot, an intermediatedepending foot spaced longitudinally from said left and right dependingfeet; said set of track consisting of: a left track having a lateralrabbet receiving said left foot of each of said cradles, a right trackhaving a lateral rabbet receiving said right foot of each of saidcradles, and an intermediate track supporting the platform loadingcarried by said intermediate foot of each of said cradles; said lefttrack having an upwardly facing surface for supporting platform loadingand a downwardly facing surface for opposing platform tilting about saidright track, said right track having an upwardly facing surface forsupportIng platform loading and a downwardly facing surface for opposingplatform tilting about said left track, and said intermediate trackhaving only one functional surface for supporting platform loading viasaid intermediate foot; and said drive means including a sprocket havinga plurality of cusps, each cusp having a concave longitudinal surfacefor respectively engaging a convex undersurface of a respective platformand longitudinally translating said platform to thereby push theupstream cradles and pull the downstream cradles in said train; wherebycounter clockwise rotation of an upstream cradle about the transverseaxis of its leading pivotal connection is limited by its own three feetand the respective rails, and clockwise rotation of said upstream cradleabout the transverse axis of its trailing pivotal connection is limitedprimarily by its own left and right feet and by the central foot of theimmediately adjacent trailing cradle.